The Delta independent., 1887-01-11

ana sent guard to look after them.
About 8 o'clock the bell rang and when
answered it man said: Do you know
they have tried to cut Secretary Sew
ards throat?' said: No; it can't be-
A few moments later he returned,
breathless, and exclaimed: Yes, is't
so. The cavalry are up and down the
avenue Then grew uneasy about
the president, and sent out messengers.
A few minutes afterward l saw Sena-
tor Sumner coming up the hill, followed
by crowd of men and boys and he
gasped, How about the presidentP' He
had hardly finished talking when Com
missioner Newlin arrived and said: The
president has been shot through the
back of the head went to Capt. Lin
coins room. He had just returned from
the 'front.' and said: Captain, some-
thing has happened to the PRESIDENT
I told the military secretary plainly
what 1t was. He turned white as death,
and said: Don't let anyone como in
the house. l was going down stairs
when little Tad, who had been to the
National theater. rushed into my arms
and sobbed: oh, Tom Pen, somebody
has killed my papa-day.' 1t was an
awful night. rushed through crowds
on the streets to Peterson's tailor store,
where the president had been taken,
passed the line of guards, and Mrs.
Lincoln met me in one of the parlors,
with hair dishelved and almost wild.
oh, Pendleton.' she cried, if you had
been there it would not have happened
The old guard, deeply depressed by
his own recitation, skips a score of
years to the second white house tragedy
the murder of Garfield Il shook
hands with Mr.. Garfield just as he was
entering his carriage for the depot.
When the news reached the white house
l met Secretary Lincoln coming down.
stairs. He was almost staggering. and
exclaimed: 'Pendel, isn't this awfulr
The secretary remembered the night
of his fathers assassination. On the
morning after Garfield was shot he
took my eyeglasses and read three
column account of it in one of the
newspapers. His attendant had started
to read it to him. but broke down Just
as the writer was describing the shoot
ing.
Just before Mr.. Arthur came to live
at the white house man called and
asked for him. One of the ushers told
me the fellow was not right, and told
him to detain him until Sergt. Dins-
more came. He detained him on some
pretext or other. and when the sergeant
came the fellow started to leave hur-
riedly. The sergeant caught him by
the throat, and the man put his hand in
his pistol pocket. The guards threw
him down and it was found that he had
loaded six-shooter. Any number of
these cranks come around and it takes
trained men to discern them.
Gen. Grant was ONE of the greatest
of men. and he had an ear for every
body" said Mr.. Pendel, 81 remember
standing one day at one of the white
house windows as he sauntcred out for
a walk. A woman-I don't know
whether she was colored or not-met
him on the steps and talked. Well, it
seemed as if she was giving him an
awful hauling over the Goals. He
never moved once, and when she had
finished he walked slowly away, putting
at his cigar"
Mr.. Pendel concluded: There have
been many happy days at the white
house; many dark and dreary ones as
we'll, and touching upon the present
administration, he added: "Nir. and
Mrs. Cleveland are noble people. In
deed, she is very beautiful. ."-Philadel-
phia Press.